America’s First Whitetail Source Celebrates 40th Anniversary

Who would have known that when publisher Jack Bauer and editor Al Hofacker founded Deer & Deer Hunting magazine in 1977 it would grow to be the most prominent and respected white-tailed deer magazine? — its humble beginnings the very definition of Americana. During the late 1960s, Brauer and Hofacker were members of a deer hunting camp in northern Wisconsin called “The Stump Sitters.” The camp consisted of about a dozen diehard deer hunters who hunted only during the gun-deer season, with the exception of Brauer and Hofacker, who were so passionate about whitetails that they hunted with recurve bows (a novelty back then), as well as 35mm cameras.

As the ’60s gave way to the ’70s, Brauer and Hofacker thirsted for, but could not find, in-depth information about white-tailed deer. This prompted them to found the “Stump Sitters Whitetail Study Group” in 1973, a members-only club where deer hunters could share their insights regarding deer behavior and hunting tactics — and the magazine four years later. Read all about the birth and evolution of Deer & Deer Hunting in this special June 2017 Anniversary Issue.

To celebrate this milestone, the D&DH editorial staff has packed this issue with all of the tools you will need to become a better hunter: cutting edge research on what makes America’s No. 1 big game animal tick, along with tips from the pros on how to better your skills, whether you hunt with a compound bow, traditional bow, crossbow, rifle, slug gun, modern sporting rifle or muzzleloader. It’s all here in this special anniversary issue!

You’ll find great tips, ideas, strategy suggestions, recipes, history and Buckshots stories, and much more, in the 40th anniversary issue of Deer & Deer Hunting Magazine.

In this issue, you’ll learn how to get the most from your game cameras, with instruction from Dr. Steve Ditchkoff and the research crew at the Auburn University Deer Lab, along with top-shelf information on land management and deer behavior, and tips on hunting methods from some of the best deer hunters on the planet.

While the first 40 years of Deer & Deer Hunter have been monumental, hold on to your hunting caps. The next 40 years are sure to get even better!

Find all Deer & Deer Hunting products at major and specialty retailers. Digital versions and more are available at www.shopdeerhunting.com.

June 2017 Issue highlights:

— Robert Frost once wrote that, “Good fences make good neighbors.” Is it possible the famous American poet was a whitetail hunter? Learn how to deal with those good, bad and ugly people next door to your whitetail property in the June issue of D&DH.

— Remember that doe with triplets you saw this past spring? Well, don’t automatically assume they all belong to her — she might just be babysitting! Deer whisperer Richard P. Smith sheds some light on this interesting behavioral phenomenon.

— Finding states where you can hunt whitetails with a crossbow isn’t as difficult as it once was. But finding places to hunt in those states — especially good deer territory — can be another matter. Crossbow guru Al Raychard gives up 10 of his favorite public land locations.

— Thanks to improved propellants, primers and breech plugs, modern muzzleloading rifles are more dependable than ever, but they still can — and do — fail. Learn how to prevent muzzleloader misfires.

— Arby’s might have the meats, but we have the New Hunting Gear — pages of it — in this special issue ofDeer & Deer Hunting, as the editors put together their Top 40 picks for 2017. Don’t miss it.